Halo: Combat Evolved Walkthrough and Strategy Wiki SuperGuide

Introduction

The dawn of an epic galactic battle for dominance on a universal scale has begun and you are at the head of all of it. Master Chief, a cyborg super soldier who has never known anything other than the military, is the humans last hope for defeating the evil which has devastated most of the galaxy until now. Lead the rebellion on the alien race known as the covanent and unleash a hidden hell never known to this world before!

If You Copy This Guide Into A Word Prccesor It Will Be Approxamatley 29 Pages Long

Halo: Combat Evolved - XBOX

Contents

Contents Page 1

Weapons Page 2 - 3

Vehicles Page 3 - 4

Campaign:

Pillar Of Autumn Page 4 - 7

Find Captain Keys Page 4

Get Off The Pillar Of Autumn Page 4 - 7

Halo Page 7 - 9

Evade Covenant Page 7

Protect The Human Survivors Page 7 - 9

Find The Final Survivors Page 9

The Truth And Reconciliation Page 9

The Truth And Reconciliation Page 9 - 11

Into The Belly Of The Beast Page 11 - 13

Shut Up And Get Behind Me.. Sir. Page 13

The Silent Cartographer Page 13 - 16

The Silent Cartographer Page 13 - 15

That Was Easy Page 15

Shafted Page 15 - 16

Assault On The Control Room Page 16

Fortress World Page 16 - 18

Rolling Thunder Page 18 - 20

343 Guilty Spark Page 20 - 22

Lost Away Team Page 20 - 21

The Flood Page 21 - 22

The Library Page 22 - 25

Wait, It Gets Worse! Page 22 - 23

But I Don’t Want To Ride The Elevator Page 23

Fourth Floor: Tools, Guns, Keys to Super Weapons Page 23 - 24

Two Betrayals Page 24

The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe Page 24 - 25

Breaking Stuff To Look Tough Page 25 - 27

The Tunnels Below Page 27

Final Run Page 27 - 28

Keyes Page 28

The Captain Page 28

The Maw Page 28

Light Fuse, Run Away. Page 28 - 29

Warning: Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Convicts Page 29

Weapons

PistolClip: Holds: 120The pistol may be small, but it packs a powerful wallop, especially against the large Hunters found later in the game. The main problem with it is that the fire rate is not rapid enough to mow down charging attackers and it does not hold enough ammo for grand scale combat situations. It does, however, have a scope, which magnifies your target 2X. If you can zoom in on an enemy's head, the gun is powerful enough to drop him in one shot.

Assault RifleClip: 60/Holds: 600The bread and butter weapon in Halo is the assault rifle. It chatters in your hands, it rips through rounds quickly. It mows down anything in your path. In the early levels in the game, it is the most effective and most commonly found weapon. The clip holds a ton of rounds, and it reloads quickly. The only problem with it is that against some of the more powerful or persistent enemies in the game, it may not have enough power. But it's a good gun to always keep in your pack.

Plasma GunBattery-PoweredThe Plasma Gun is an alien weapon primarily carried by Grunts and Jackals (and later by low-level Flood). It delivers either short energy bullets or one large energy blast. An energy blast will completely deplete an enemy's shields, allowing you to move in for the kill. To do it, press and hold the trigger until a green ball of energy collects at the end of the weapon. Then let go. The Plasma Gun works great against the Jackals' shields, but is not powerful enough to take on anything too big.

Plasma RifleBattery-PoweredThe preferred weapon of the Covenant Elite, the Plasma Rifle delivers a fast-paced barrage of energy bullets. It's great at eating through Covenant shields and taking down distant Elite. Don't hold the button down too long, though, or the gun will overheat in your hands. This is a great alternative to the Assault Rifle.

NeedlerClip: 20/Holds: 80While it looks cool, the Needler is the weakest weapon in the game. Like the Reaper in Perfect Dark, its ammo is too scattered and weak to be of much use. The only real advantage to this gun is that it will track its target. The pink ammunition burrows into soft flesh and explodes, doing decent damage. It's recommended you stay away from this one. It's no good against Jackals, and hard to use against crafty Elite.

Sniper RifleClip: 4/Holds: 64The Sniper Rifle is a powerful weapon, indeed. It allows you to strike at enemies from afar, out of the range of their weapons. To activate the sniper scope, push down the right analog stick, once for 2X and twice for 10X. Activate Night Vision by pressing the White Button. When using the Sniper Rifle, aim for the enemy's head. Certain foes, like Elite and Jackals, can be dropped with a single head shot. Don't use the gun against the Flood--it's completely worthless. And never use it up close. The Sniper Rifle is a distance weapon, and is usually placed in areas where it will be used most effectively.

ShotgunClip: 12/Holds: 60Ahh, the wondrous Shotgun. As in most videogames, the Shotgun is also the best weapon in Halo. The perfect close-range weapon, the Shotgun has serious stopping power, plus its ammo spreads to drop multiple enemies at once. Great against Combat Flood, the Shotgun is also an effective close-range tool against the pesky Elite. Two shots will eliminate their shields. One more will drop them. The only disadvantage to the Shotgun is the fact that it takes a while to reload. If cornered, reloading can be dangerous. Always seek safe ground before reloading.

Rocket LauncherClip: 2/Holds: 8The Rocket Launcher is big and powerful. Powerful enough to take down enemy tanks. Powerful enough to drop hefty Hunters. Powerful enough to kill you if fired in close quarters. Use the Rocket Launcher to tenderize the enemy, or to get distant, powerful enemies out of the way before moving in to clean up.

Vehicles

Warthog

To drive it, you will point the blue arrow (the camera) in the direction you want to go with the right analog stick, and accelerate with the left stick. This takes some getting used to at first, but always remember that you'll move toward the blue arrow, and things will work themselves out.

Ghost

Scorpion

Banshee

Find Captain Keyes

Once your targeting systems are online and you've calibrated, follow the technician to get some shields. This will introduce you to the basics of your energy shield system. Midway through the explanation, all hell breaks loose. Aliens have penetrated the ship and are taking over. You've got to find Captain Keyes on the bridge immediately.

Follow the technician through the maze of tunnels. When he is killed by an exploding door, move back to the large, open doorway with pipes across it. Hop over the pipes and into the hallway with flashing emergency lights. Two of the doors in this hallway are locked, so turn right and go through the door with the green light at the end of the hall. As you continue down this path, a small explosion will throttle the wall to the right. Keep going ahead, through another green light door. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Step into the dark chamber and look to the left. Under a halfway closed door, you can see your men getting attacked. Push down on the left stick to get under the heavy door, then move into the corridor. It will be quickly barricaded at both ends. Turn right at head down the corridor, then head through the green light door to the left. Head through the darkened passage to another green light door. It will spring open and you'll be face-to-face with a Covenant Elite. Back up and let the other marines take care of him, then scoot out into the next room. Here, you'll meet two commandos who tell you to hurry to the bridge. Move down the corridor and turn right to find another firefight in progress. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Wait for them to wipe out the Covenant, then approach the commando in the gray suit. He will lead the way to the bridge. On the way, you'll go through another firefight and another Checkpoint. When the soldier stops, follow the open doorway to the bridge. There, you will meet Captain Keyes and the computer interface Cortana who will give you instructions throughout the remainder of the game. The Captain decides to abandon the Autumn, landing a drop ship on Halo. It's your responsibility to get Cortana's technology off of the ship.

Get off the Pillar of Autumn

The Assault Rifle is a serious piece of hardware, and will go a long way toward getting you off the ship alive. The longer you hold down the trigger, the faster the ammo will deploy, so make sure to shoot in bursts to save bullets. When you have the rifle, move through the green-light door here to find yourself in your first real firefight of the game. You'll see your marines concentrating on an Elite on the far end of this mostly open room. They'll take him down on their own. Move through the cafeteria to the right, killing all of the Covenant that come through the two doors at this end of the room. Use the columns and tables as cover here. Pop out and spray down the aliens, then scoot behind cover and reload. Make sure you don't get any marines in your line of fire, or you could end up killing the ones who help you.

Once the Covenant stop coming through the doors, move through one of the two open passages into a cross-hallway. Here you'll find a couple more grunts and an Elite. Use the bunkers in the hallway as cover and take down the enemy. Before leaving the area, be sure to grab the health pack from the wall near the exit. Then move down the next corridor. This hallway bends to the left and leads to the next checkpoint.

Follow the path as it curls right. In the middle of the path, you'll encounter another Elite. Watch the Marines on the other side of the hallway. You don't want to hit them with cross-fire. When the Elite falls, move past his corpse and join the Marines at the other end of the corridor. An explosion will shake the ship. Cautiously follow the marines through the next couple of rooms. You'll fins yourself looking down a corridor with red partitions in it. As you move into the hallway, another explosion will blow open a door and Covenant will stream into the hall. Make your way carefully down the hall, using cover and helping your marines take down the Covenant. Don't worry too much about hitting them if you're standing. Most of the soldiers will crouch to give you a clear shot. Midway down the corridor, take a look to the right. You can see where the Covenant ship attached.

Keep pushing the aliens back to the end of the corridor, then move around the corner to the left, continuing the fight. The Covenant will keep falling back. Follow them careful, making sure to protect yourself with cover. Eventually you'll push the baddies back into a narrow corridor marked by a green arrow that says "Stairs." Move down the dark hall, then turn right, then left. At the far end of the hallway, you'll encounter more Covenant. If you move all the way to the end, you'll meet up with your marine buddies, who are facing the aliens head-on. To maximize the firepower, though, duck down the first hallway to the right that you come to. This will allow you to flank the enemy and catch them in a cross-fire. The Covenant will go down twice as fast with this diversified attack. Make sure you don't go all the way into the room to fight, however. Stay in the hallway and fall back into the other corridor for cover.

When the Covenant have been eliminated, move into the cleared room. Pick up any weapons or ammo you need, then turn your attention to the path on the right wall. Kill the grunts here, then grab the health pack from the wall before moving on. Continue following the path as it bends and turns. Soon, you'll be at the site of another battle. You've reached a Checkpoint.

At this checkpoint you have the option to go left and help your marine buddies, or go straight and take on the enemy from the side. Head straight forward and kill the grunts that charge you, then aim left and catch the Covenant in another crossfire, mowing down the Elite that's battling your troops. When the hallway is secure, meet up with your pals and continue to the next room. Here, you'll see a bunker. Get behind it and provide support fire as your buddies move ahead. Let them clean the room, while you focus your fire on the far Elite. When he drops, move out from behind the bunker.

You're in an area marked "32." The walls are red and an energy shield sits at the far end of the hall. Use it for cover as you tangle with the Elite. When he drops, move through the room and exit through the huge passage to the left. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Here you'll see a flaming inferno at one end of the corridor. Step through this darkened room and prepare for another fight. Duck under the half-closed door here. There are a bunch of grunts and a couple Elite that are busy wasting your men as you run up. Dart out from behind the cover of the hallway and drop them, and be careful not to let any get behind you. Once they've fallen, grab the health pack from the wall here and move into the next corridor. Follow the path toward the steam that's emitting from the right side of the hall. This is another Checkpoint.

Move through the doorway here to a huge open room with a raised landing. Take out as many Covenant as possible from your position at the doorway, because if you try to move up the stairway, you'll get eaten alive. When you're confident that everyone is dead upstairs, make your way up top. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Follow the marines into another long, heavily barricaded hallway. Use the beams and bunkers as cover as you blaze a trail to the darkened room at the far end. Step into the darkened room and turn on your headlamp (White Button). Move through to find another group of grunts and an Elite waiting at the end of the next hall. There is an energy shield here that the Elite will try to hide behind, but he's just one guy, and you should have quite a few marines still with you. Checkpoint.

When this Elite drops, move forward to trigger a Checkpoint, then continued forward to a darkened section of hall. As you move forward, you'll see space out of the bay windows to your left. There is also a health pack here. Grab it and head forward, taking the corner to the left into the pod bay. Slay the Grunts at the far end, then move forward. Cortana will introduce you to nav points, which you'll need to learn to get around all levels in the future. Follow the red arrow to the first nav point, a small door that will allow you to get around through the air vents of the ship. When you get inside, turn your light on and follow the maze of tunnels until you reach the only viable exit, a door with a green light on it. When you exit the tunnel, Cortana will activate your motion tracker, which will enable you to see where your enemies are. They're indicated in red, while members of your team will be indicated in yellow. This monitor is crucial. It will let you know when you're being approached from the rear, when you're surrounded, and when you're heading into a den of evil.

Head forward to the partially-closed doors ahead and hit them with the butt of your rifle (B). Move carefully down the corridor until you see a lone Grunt who's looking the wrong way. Pump some rounds into him, then move down the long corridor here. There are two doorways to the left. Both lead to the same room, which houses a gaggle of Covenant baddies. Go to the second door and use the melee attack (B) on the Elite at the doorway, then quickly fall back and spray him with lead until he drops. Then move through the first doorway and finish off the rest of the baddies in this room from a distance. Be sure to pick up the health pack at the far end of the room before exiting. This is a Checkpoint.

Move down the hall past a computer console and a room that looks down into the training chamber where you started your game. Checkpoint.

There is an Elite stationed at the far end of this hallway. Chatter a few shells into him, then move forward and polish him off. As you do, the wall behind him will explode and he'll fall dead. Don't go through the door behind the Elite. Instead, turn right and wipe out the Grunts here. At the end of the fiery chamber is a small door to the left. Go through it, back into the air ducts. This time around, Grunts have invaded the ducts, so watch out. Follow the labyrinth to yet another hallway battle. There are two exits out of the tunnel--one to the left, and one straight forward. Take the left one and move through the leftmost rooms of this grid. You'll encounter the heaviest resistance yet.

Keep an eye on your motion sensor to make sure no one is sneaking up on you. Use the angled pillars and such for cover as you battle your way through several Elite and a handful of Grunts in this long corridor. They'll try to use the shields to their advantage, so stay near the walls to get the best angle. Then move forward and around the corner to the left. Here, you'll see another hallway with red partitions, labeled "63." Move forward to the barricade to get some Fragmentation Grenades. Toss one over the barrier to waste the Grunts here, then scoot into the door to the left to enter the air ducts again.

Follow the narrow corridors around until you reach area 62, then scoot through the air duct door here to escape to the pods. Once you're safely inside an escape pod, you'll see a cut scene as the craft descends to Halo. When you pick up play again, you'll be on the surface.

Evade Covenant Patrols

Continue forward, heading between two large rock faces. The grassy path will drop into a lower valley. Keep moving through the valley until you get to a checkpoint.

Here, the ravine opens slightly. You'll see a Covenant ship dusting off as you approach. This meadow will have to be cleared before you can move on. There are a couple of Elite and plenty of Grunts to keep you busy. Use the shrubs and rocks as cover, and done be stingy with the Grenades. If you see a group of Covenant hanging around, toss a pineapple in the center and watch them fly.

Once the aliens have been slain, move to the large structure at the center of the field. Scale the ramp to get up to the second level, then search the corner for some extra supplies. If any of the upcoming firefights get too hairy, come up here to refuel and reload. As soon as you touch the supplies, another objective will flash on the screen. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Protect the Human Survivors

Drop ships will continue to land, and you'll have to sort out the enemies. Just keep circling the base and watching your radar. Don't go back up on the base unless you want to die, however. There are not enough corners and obstacles to hide behind. The smaller structure just behind the base is a pretty decent place to hide and let the baddies come to you. They'll run up the ramp and you can stay in the corner and hose them down as they approach.

When all of the Covenant fall dead, a drop ship (for the good guys, this time) will leave an all-wheel drive Warthog for you. It'll also drop off an extra marine to operate the gun. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Need help driving? Check out our Weapons and Vehicles section for tips on piloting the Warthog (and all other vehicles in the game).

Take off into the lower valley, through the field of rocks. Here, you'll find a blue cave. Drive the warthog into the entrance and follow the twisting paths until you reach the lowest point of the structure. Here, you'll find a ramp leading up to a gap in the path. Line your Warthog up here at the bottom and floor it, getting up enough speed to jump the gap.

You exit into a huge bay with Covenant everywhere. Drive slowly when you enter the room so your gunner can pump a few rounds into the aliens here. Then drive forward and park the vehicle at the mouth of the tunnel ahead. Get out (X) and conduct the rest of the battle on foot. Use the large boxes on either side of the main path for shelter as you dart out and lay waste to the enemy troops.

When they've all been secured, head to the right side of the path (while facing the tunnel) and look for a hidden ramp. Move to the top of the ramp. There is a lurking Elite here. As he pokes his snout around the corner, toss a Plasma Grenade at him, then fall back and wait for him to die. Follow the path up to a console at the far end. Hit X at the display to activate a light bridge. Return to the Warthog and drive it across the bridge.

Weave through the corridors with the Warthog until you exit into a hilly region. You'll go through several Checkpoints en route. Keep driving up the incline until you reach the top of the hill. Then drive down and cross a small stream, looking for a pair of blue lights at the base of a cliff opening. Drive the vehicle through here. You'll see another base. Drive the Warthog into the area and look for Covenant to run over. Take out as many as possible while on the vehicle.

There are Covenant everywhere in this area. Use the Warthog as long as you can, then park it in a heavily-populated area and let the gunner do his magic. Hop out and seek the shelter of a wall or rock, then just be patient. Dart and shoot when you can, and don't get too greedy. Make sure you don't put yourself in between two aliens, because cross-fire will kill you faster than anything. Use your Grenades whenever possible to damage groups of Covenant.

There are two structures near the base that need exploring. This is where you'll find the surviving marines in the area. One of them can be found inside a wall of pipes (near where you entered this area). There is another structure on the far end of the base. Nearby is a pod, where you can find a health pack. Enter the structure to find another health pack. Either of these two little bunkers leads to the other via and underground tunnel, and this is a quick (and relatively painless) way to get from one end of the base to the other. Get down there as soon as you can and pick up your guys. They'll help a lot in the fight ahead.

Work your way around the central base and keep checking the radar to tell where the packs of enemies are. If possible, you want to take on Elite alone, without a bunch of Grunts nibbling at your heels.

When all of the Covenant around the base have fallen, round up your marines and get back in the Warthog. Head for the narrow opening in the cliff face just behind the base. You've reached a Checkpoint.

Drive across the river and look for an opening in the rock to the right. It will be indicated by two small, blue lights. There is another entrance to this area further down the rock wall, but it to your advantage to enter here. You'll see a crashed pod nearby and a high, rock butte ahead. That's where you'll find your marine forces. Rendezvous with them as quickly as possible. There's going to be a battle. For the first wave of attackers, stay on the ground and try to engage the aliens in the narrow pathways between rocks. Throw a lot of Grenades here in order to take down several aliens at once. Make sure you don't blow up any of your own marines during the fight. You'll need as many as possible to weather this storm.

Once you have cleared out the Covenant on the ground, climb atop the rock formation. You squad will follow. Turn your attention to the area near the pod. A Covenant dropship will appear here and start dropping off more baddies. As they unload from the ship, toss a bunch of grenades into the area. You can take down several Grunts and weaken the Elite by doing this. Watch out for fire from the Covenant drop ship as it dusts off. Once it's gone, stay atop the rocks and pick off the aliens as they approach. Polish most of them off from on high before going downstairs and cleaning up the scraps. When the final enemy perishes, a rescue ship will come pick up the survivors of your entourage. Round up the rest of you compadres and ride out the way you came in.

Find the Final Survivors

When you've cleared the area somewhat rendezvous with the survivors on the hill face. They'll help you clean up the rest of the Covenant mess. Stay on the hillside when fighting… it gives you a tactical advantage. Make sure you keep your guys here alive, too. They are crucial to your success (and health). Once the area is fully secure, a dropship will come down and pick up the survivors. Load up the Warthog and head to the far right of this valley. When all of the enemies are killed in this area, a dropship will come down and collect the survivors, and you. Get on the ship by pressing X.

The Truth and Reconciliation

When they're all dead, walk forward (and to the right) to find a ledge that overlooks the gully. Don't go up it. Instead, take the path down into the canyon, moving carefully with your pack of marines. They are a little overzealous, so they'll go charging into combat. Stay at the mouth of the opening and clean up anything you couldn't kill from the ridge. There is a lurking Elite off to the left, as well as another laser turret. Take them down with your Sniper Rifle, then move forward slightly. This will trigger a Grunt to run for the near turret. Take him down as he runs for it. If he gets to the turret, don't sweat it. Just aim at the center of the gun and pop. The Grunt will fall.

As you move further into the canyon, an Elite and several Grunts will stream in. Switch to your Assault Rifle and take them down with the help of your marines. As you continue forward, you'll make your way up a narrow ledge with a clear look at the enormous moon. There are several Jackals hanging out here. Slay them with the Assault Rifle, or let your marines handle them.

At the top of this hill, you'll encounter a big group of Covenant. Use the tree as cover and equip your Sniper Rifle and take out the Grunt on the laser turret that's camped out on the ledge in the distance. Then use some grenades in the foreground to bust up the Grunt party going on here. When you've taken down most of them, fall back and equip the Sniper Rifle to get the Elite that's lurking in the shadows. A shot to the head will kill it. Refer to your radar to see that you've eliminated all of the enemies, then move forward.

There is a health pack at the base of the bluff that the turret is sitting on, so grab that, then move forward around the corner (to the left). Here, you'll be ambushed by several Grunts and a couple of Elite. Use your Sniper Rifle on the two Elite, then help your marines clean up the Grunt scum. Watch out so that you don't fall off the edge of this cliff during the melee.

When that's done, keep heading down the path, following the narrow path up and around the cliff to the right. You'll reach a Checkpoint. Shortly afterward, you'll see a swiveling turret atop the hill. Drop the Grunt on top, then move forward, hugging the stone wall to the right. Soon, you'll come to an opening in the rock. You can take an Elite by surprise here and drop him with your Sniper Rifle. This will open an ally for your troops to get atop the cliffs here. This area is crawling with Covenant. There are two turrets to the left that will need your immediate attention. Once they fall, concentrate on the Jackals atop the stone walkway that bridges the canyon.

When they go down, head to the far end of the walkway. Face the cliff and look right. This looks down into a path that cuts through the rock and leads to the next area. Don't go there yet. After you've dropped the last of the enemies, more will rush in. Drop a grenade in the hole here as the Elite (and a couple measly Jackals) run forward. Then pick off the Elite from on high with either more grenades or spray from your Assault Rifle. If you can't get them here, they'll have to run under the walkway and come up behind you. But you'll have a clear shot at them as they climb the hill, and should be able to kill them before they reach you.

When all the baddies in this area are gone, move down into the canyon below and follow the channel through the rock (the one you just killed all of those Elite in). Just follow the trail of bodeis. This will lead to a Checkpoint, near a low, flattish rock. From here, you can see into the next area. An Elite is on patrol on a distant ridge. Be patient and kill him with the Sniper Rifle, then take down as many Jackals in the area below as possible before moving into the canyon.

When you do, you'll encounter a turret up on the ledge to the left, and another at the far end of the canyon. Destroy the nearer turret first, then drop the far one. As you eliminate it, a Covenant ship will appear. A marine dropship will also move in, bringing more troops to your aid. Get on top of the ridge that lines the right side of the gorge. Get on one of the turrets here (X) and fire at any Covenant that appear in the area below. Your marines will give a great deal of support. Just make sure you don't accidentally shoot them with the turret. You'll have to endure about three waves of Covenant dropping down the shaft from the alien craft. Once they're all dead, the Checkpoint will appear. Search the canyon below for a health pack and tons of ammo.

When you set foot in the lower area, however, two Hunters will drop down the pipe. These guys are big and mean, and have powerful weapons. Soften them up with some grenades, then fall back and pepper them with Assault rounds. Dodge their green energy blasts. If you take one dead on, it will kill your shields. If you take two, you're a dead man. If you're feeling brave, you can get in close. As the Hunter charges you, fall back. He'll temporarily expose a bit of orange tissue on his torso and back. One shot from the Pistol or Sniper Rifle will drop him if you hit the orange. Regardless, once both Hunters fall down, a dropship of marines will show up. Step into the energy stream to get taken up into the Covenant ship.

Into the Belly of the Beast

Behind one of them, you'll find Active Camouflage, which will cloak you just as the Elite was cloaked. Use this to sneak up on Jackals and Grunts and hit them with your melee attack, which will save you both time and ammo. There is also a health pack in the same corner, if you get too chewed up.

Once the fight has ended, collect up the remainder of your troops and head through the only open hallway leading out of the room. You'll come to the end of a blocked-off hallway. You'll have to find a way to get around it, so return to the room you beamed into and go through either door with a white border. No matter which path you choose, take a right when you reach the wall, mowing down the Grunts and Elite you encounter in this passage. Follow the rightmost path all the way to a circular room with a column at its center. To the right of this room is a door. Tease it open, then chuck a grenade into the room in the direction of the Jackal and Elite on the left wall. There is an Elite further down the path as well. Drop this line of enemies, then move into the room.

You'll find yourself in a huge bay. When you move forward, Cortana will tell you that she found the door she was looking for. It is indicated as a nav point in the room below. The marines will work on opening it. If you want to save yourself some trouble later, kill all of the enemies in the room below before proceeding. The Sniper Rifle works dandy for this task. Then move through the doors on the far side of the room. Battle your way through the Grunts in these corridors, following the path down. A good rule of thumb is to follow the trail of enemies. They'll lead you to your next destination.

Near the bottom of the path, you'll run into another Elite. Kill him with the Sniper Rifle, then move through the yellowish doors here. The hallway will dump into the room you were looking at from the walkway above. Wipe out whatever is left of the enemy here, then brace yourself for a new batch. A couple of Elite will come through the far door, followed by a slew of Jackals and Grunts. Hold your position near the doorway you entered through, and attack these guys at distance with the Sniper Rifle. Note: There is a health pack near the doorway, but hold off grabbing it until your life is running low.

When all the enemies in this area die, move to the nav point to find a glowing control panel. Press X to open the muster bay door. This will reunite you with your marines. Once they arrive, move through the white rimmed doors to the right of the muster bay (when facing the controls). The path will lead down. Follow it to the left to find more foes: Jackals. As you continue down the path, you'll reach a long hall with Grunts and Elite in it. Toss a grenade to clear soem out, then finish up with the Assault Rifle. As you clear enemies, move down the path. You'll notice several red-lit hallways to the left. Ignore them and forge ahead, making bodies hit the floor the whole way.

You'll hit a checkpoint just before the path dumps into another huge bay. Your marines will join you for a huge firefight. There are Grunts and Elite galore in the battle, courtesy of a Covenant dropship. Watch out for enemies on the platform ahead and above. There is an especially nasty Elite that will eat your soldiers alive unless you drop him with the Sniper Rifle. Stay near the doorway you came through and take your time smoking the baddies here. After you get past the first wave, more Covenant will appear on the platform above and through doors to the right. The Jackals on the walkway above should be taken down with the Sniper Rifle before focusing on the ground troops.

After the second wave is dead, a checkpoint will occur. Move into the room. Straight ahead from the door you came in through is a health pack and ammo stash. Grab it, then move to the other side of the room. When you do, more Covenant will stream through a door in the other half of the room. Look at your radar to see where they're coming from, then move to that doorway and fill it with grenades. A couple of Elite and Jackals will emerge from here, and the more work you can do with grenades, the better. When this wave is wiped out, you'll have an even nastier group to contend with. Fortunately, before they arrive, you get a new dropship full of marines as well.

To trigger them, head back to the other side of the room. Near a couple of canisters you'll find and Overshield. Grab it to boost your protection. Then turn and face the oncoming rush. Focus on the Elite. Your marines will do a good job with the smaller stuff, but you can help them a lot with some well placed Plasma Grenade throws. At the end of the battle, two Hunters will show up. Use your Sniper Rifle on their orange parts for a couple of quick kills. Be sure you dodge their green energy blasts, though.

When all the enemies die, Cortana will open a door in the bay, marked by a nav point. Move through it and battle down the corridors with the help of your Marines. As the hallway begins to slope up, you'll run into a couple of cloaked Elite. Use your Sniper Rifle on them. If you can get a head shot, all the better.

Keep moving forward... your marines will point the way. Eventually, you'll exit into another large bay. There are several Grunts guarding the left walkway. Plow through them and enter the white-rimmed door. With your marines, battle through the winding corridors. You'll encounter a few Elite on your trip. Save your grenades for them. There is only one way to go through this passage, and it leads to another open bay area. Here, you'll encounter another Elite and some Grunts. Drop them, then move around the central opening to a door on the far side of the room.

Follow the path up until you reach a crossroads. Down the left leg of the crossroads, you'll find a stash containing a health pack and a buttload of ammo. Grab it, go back to the main path, then move ahead. At the top of the path is a door. Hang out near the doorway and switch to the Sniper Rifle. There is an Elite carrying a laser sword atop the central platform. Drop him, then focus on the other Elite that start to rush.

When they all die, it's time to move to the nav point. Kill the Grunts that approach, then follow the winding, purple paths as they lead up to a seemingly empty room. Move to the end of this room, where you'll find a glowing control panel. Activate it to open the prison doors. Then head back out of the room and go straight, following the path until you see another enemy appear on the radar. It's a Jackal. Take it down and move down the hall until you reach a passage that breaks off to the right. There is a killer Elite with a laser sword on patrol at the end of the room. Take it down with the Sniper Rifle, then find the cloaked Elite also in this room and take it down. Several Grunts will swarm into the room at this point. Slay them, then move to the other end of the room and open this set of prison doors.

Shut Up and Get Behind Me... Sir

Now you'll have to defend the Captain's life as you battle your way out of the ship. Immediately, a pair of cloaked Elite will show up and start blasting. Be calm and take them out with the Sniper Rifle. Let your attending marines take care of the riff raff. When these two drop, move through the doors and start blazing a trail. Just follow the trail of enemies. You'll meet a couple of Elite on the path, but mostly Grunts and Jackals. Stay out in front of the crew and clean house with grenades and the Assault Rifle. The more guys you kill on your own, the less threat your Captain will face.

Eventually, you'll have to battle all the way down the purple hall. Eventually, you'll reach the large bay with a circular, central platform. In the distance, you'll see a cloaked Elite with a laser sword. Drop him with the Sniper Rifle and another will appear. Take him down the same way and step into the room. There will be a conversation about how to get out of the ship, and ultimately, Cortana plots a way out.

She gives you a nav point to follow, and at the same time a group of Grunts show up to rain on your parade. Spray them down with some Rifle fire, then move through the door toward the nav point. Again, run ahead and clear a path. The nav point will point you where you need to go. You'll have to run through most of the ship to get there, but once you do, all you have to do is push a button to have the dropship move down a level and get you and your precious Keyes out of there.

The Silent Cartographer

When you clear out all of the enemies and arrive under the large structure, a Checkpoint indication will appear. A dropship will appear and leave you a Warthog. Load it up with marines and continue down the beach, keeping the ocean to your right. It's off to find the map room. Move the Warthog to the next clearing and station it just before the grassy slope that leads up into the rock face. Get out and polish off the Elite and Grunts in this corridor. When you do, a Checkpoint will appear. Get back in the ride and drive it up the hill, coming to rest just outside of the stronghold at the top. Here, you'll meet with heavy Covenant resistance, so make sure your gunner has a clear shot into the structure, then get out and help take down the enemies with your own gun.

There are a couple of nasty Elite hanging out in the hallway of this fortress, so park the Warthog facing down this long hall, then get inside yourself and drop them with grenades and either Assault Rifle or Pistol fire. Once you do, the Checkpoint will be complete.

Move down the hall and start your descent into the building. You're looking to activate the map room. At the bottom of the landing, you'll encounter a pack of Covenant. Toss a well-placed grenade into the mix and watch them fly. Or, pick them off one by one. The Covenant have locked down the doors here, so you'll have to find a way to disable the system. Head back outside and get in the Warthog. Drive it to the opposite side of the platform and move down the grassy hill here.

You'll find an Overshield by a pair of purple canisters near the beach. Get out of the 'Hog and get it. Then drive through the stone archway ahead, further down the beach. Just past this, you'll see an overturned Warthog with a bunch of supplies next to it, including two health packs and a buttload of grenades. Off to the left, you'll see a ton of Covenant baddies lurking in thr forest. Park the Warthog where the marines will be able to attack easily, then pop out of the ride and hose down the forces with a little horizontal rain.

When everyone's dead, move up the incline and through the rocky area. You won't be able to get the Warthog in here, so leave the marines on the beach. Work your way through the rocky ravine, dropping the two Elite and several Grunts that you meet here. Over the next ridge, you'll see a pair of Hunters. Stay behind the rocks here and pop out to nail them with your Pistol. Remember--aim for the orange spots. And be sure to duck behind those rocks when you see them cranking up their energy guns. If you don't have a Pistol, there is a dump of goodies off to the left, including lots of guns and another two health packs.

Once you've dealt with the Hunters, move down to the building plaza below to get an Overshield. Then move up the opposite hill and take on the charging Jackals. If you're feeling cavalier, just run right up to them and melee attack. Sometimes it's nice to be close. The next little wooded grove is home to a herd of Grunts and a single Elite. As always, soften them up with grenades, and polish them off with the Assault or Plasma Rifle. The Pistol also isn't a bad choice for this area, simply because it's so good at cutting through the Elite.

When you're done, it will be another Checkpoint. Make your way to the large gray structure to the right. You'll have to battle through some Jackals and Grunts, but you're used to that by now. Skirt the building and take out the Grunts guarding the entrance, then go get the Overshields to the left of the door. When you get one, head into the building and down the ramp that leads into a large room littered with debris. There are a pair of Hunters here as well. Use the debris as cover and smoke them with your pistol when you get a clear shot at their orange, juicy parts. If one of the Hunters dings you good, you can always head back to the surface and get another Overshield. There's no law against that.

When the Hunters fall, exit the room and follow the long hallway down to a room with a holo-panel at its center. Activate the panel to shut down the security system. A short cutscene will follow showing an Elite with a Sword. Scary.

That Was Easy!

When the Elite go down, get up and out of the structure and grab another Overshield near the entrance. Then head back to the structure where you met the first batch of Hunters. There are a whole mess of Jackals here. Pick them off from afar, or go in close and melee these suckers to death. Then move back to your waiting Warthog. Move down the beach in your ride. There is a dropship parked nearby with all kinds of goodies, including a Rocket Launcher. Grab it. There are also two health packs. When you get all of your goods, hop back in your ride and continue down the beach. You'll meet up with another contingent of marines just past the structure here. Pick some up if you need extra riders in your rig, then continue back to the original stronghold.

There will be two Hunters waiting as you drive up. Keep the Warthog well hidden from their powerful guns, then hop out and use the Rocket Launcher to drop them. Or, you can use the Pistol if you still have it. At any rate, continue forward into the building and move down to the door that was previously locked.

Shafted

Then follow the long, winding path down deeper into the compund. At the bottom, open the green door to enter an area with a lowered section in the middle. The path around it is cordoned off from the central depression, but there is a Hunter on the prowl there. Focus on taking down the Jackals in the outer areas before moving on to tackling the Hunter. There is some ammo and a couple of health packs stashed near the entrance.

Once you kill the Hunters, go to the far end of the room and continue down the ramp here. Keep following the path down until you reach an area next to the huge abyss. Here, take a right and follow the corridors until you see entrances marked by dulled purple light. Move through one of these into a large room with some pretty odd architecture. This chamber has two doors in it. Go through the one to the left to find some Active Camouflage. This will cloak you. Hop off of the edge of this ledge and follow the path to a room full of baddies.

There are tons of nooks any crannies to use for cover in this room, but you should go around and take down as many enemies as you can before your cloaking runs out. When it does, clean up the scraps and then fins the path that leads to a ledge around the abyss (on the opposite side of the room from where you came in). There is a ramp to the right that leads down one level, but take out the Elite and Grunts on the lower tier before you move down. If the Elite is near enough the edge, toss a Plasma Grenade at his feet and he'll jump to his death. There is an Overshield hidden next to the purple canister here. Be sure to grab it.

Continue around the corner to the right to find what you're looking for--the control room. The panel is on a steel podium in the center of a glass floor. Don't charge across and activate the controls right away, though. Instead, eliminate the Elite on the other side of the room. Then move around to the opposite side of the room and activate the Silent Cartographer.

Once you do, you'll hear Cortana on the comm link talking about Keyes. Move back through the complex to the large room that you fought your cloaked battle in. Climb the central ramp, then hang a right and blast your way up the ramps. You'll encounter a lot of Jackals, so the Pistol is the weapon to use. When you reach the room with a pair of green doors, duck out the side exit and start working your way up the ramps next to the abyss. In fact, just keep going up. Whenever you see a ramp, go up it. You're looking to get to the surface. As always, be careful so you don't fall off these narrow inclines as you battle Jackals and Grunts.

The room where you encountered the Hunters is crawling with Covenant. If you don't want to deal with them, exit through the green door and continue your ascent on the long, twisting ramp above the abyss. As you move through the dimly-lit hallways on your way to the surface, there is one more Elite you need to be worried about. He's carrying a laser sword. Just be cautious when you're in the hallways with the white-lit floors (the ones that look like they're straight out of Empire). If you're sneaking, you see him before he sees you. Just throw a Plasma Grenade and fall back. He'll have no choice but to die.

At the top of the stairs, you have to endure one more Mexican stand-off. Except there ain't no Mexicans. Instead, there are three cloaked Elite bent on your destruction. Use a combination of the Pistol and Plasma Grenades to drop them, falling back to the ramp if you take any damage. Then exit the building and move to the Pelican. Move to the back nd press X to get on. The level is over. Walk the pretty cutscene and bask in the wonder of the storyline.

Fortress World

Once inside the fortress, follow the arrows on the ground. Throughout the complex, they will point you where you need to go. The path you're on is similar to many you'll come across in this fortress. It leads to a circular path that surrounds a central room. Most of these center rooms are inconsequential--they're just where the enemies come from. Wht you'll want to do is move around the circular paths until you reach another door, and exit through there. As always, follow the enemies to find your next objective.

At the end of this first path, you'll have the opportunity to sneak up on an Elite. Toss a Plasma Grenade on his back and let him cook. Move around the circular path to the left, taking down Grunts and Jackals all the way. Make sure you look on the walkways above for ambushing aliens.

Move through the diamond door when you get to it. You'll exit back into the world. There are two gun turrets here. Hop on one and mow down the sleeping Grunts. You'll see a dropship full of marines landing off to the right. You'll be joining them shortly. The idea is to battle all the way across the bridge you're on, taking down the hordes of enemies camped out on both levels. There is plenty of cover, but you'll have to be wary of shots from below. The glass sections of the bridge can and will be shot out, making you vulnerable from many angles. The real threat is an Elite that is on the lower deck near the door. Use the Pistol to drop him, then pick up a Plasma Rifle for the Jackals you'll face later.

Battle your way to the far door and go through. In this tunnel, you'll meet another laser sword Elite. Chuck a Plasma Grenade at him and be done with it. Go to the end of the passage to find another circular pathway area. Handle it the same way you did the last one. Battle to the left, taking down the mess of Grunts you encounter. Since ammo is limited here, the Plasma Rifle will probably be your weapon of choice.

Midway down the passage, you'll get a health pack, some Frag Grenades and an Assault Rifle, if you wish to have it. Near the exit, you'll encounter a cloaked Elite. A Plasma Grenade will do him in. Move through the diamond door and down the path until you reach an elevator. Take it down to the basement. In the next hallway, you'll encounter a huge group of Grunts. Toss a grenade and watch them fly. Then go to the end of this hall and clear the room as much as possible from this position. Then follow the circular path around, battling through Grunts, Jackals and a couple Elite to get to the next door.

Follow the path until it exits out into a snowy field. Kill the Grunt in the gun turret to the left, then run to the Warthog tipped over in the snow (also to the left). You'll have to be on your toes here, because there are a lot of Covenant tanks afoot, and one hit from them will send you to cyborg heaven. There is a Rocket Launcher and a few health packs in this area. Grab the Launcher and head to the grove of trees nearby. It will give you cover as you focus your fire on the tank. You'll want to aim lower than you think to get at the tank. Once you explode it, take out the turret to the left. Then head back to the Warthog and flip it. Load up on marines on head toward the gap in the gorge ahead. Grunts and Jackals will swarm you. Run them over or let the gunners take care of them, then move ahead. In the next clearing, you'll find the mother of all vehicles... the tank.

Before you get in it, take a look at the crashed Pelican to the left. The area around the Pelican is littered with guns and health. Grab what you want, then saunter over to the tank. Get in the driver's side and feel the power. Move toward the cave in the ice cliff. A couple of enemy craft will come at you. Drop them with the cannon (Right Trigger).

Drive through the ice tunnel, and pause at the opposite end. In the next clearing, you'll see several Covenant Ghosts buzzing around. Take them down with the Scorpion's cannon. Move toward the far tunnel. Let your guys take care of the ground troops. You concentrate on eliminating Covenant craft and laser turrets. When you arrive in the distant corridor, you'll meet two Hunters. Quickly drop them with cannon blasts, before they decimate your crew. When they die, drive the tank to the large, steel doors. Get out momentarily and use the control panel (X) to open the door, then hop back in your ride of death and roll. Roll. Roll.

Move inside the door and start blasting. There are several Elite prowling here. Use the big gun to take them down, then pull the tank into the large bay ahead. Make sure you target the laser turrets and Elite here first, then work on the piddly stuff. When everything has been whittled down, drive your tank to one end of the right bridge and get out of the tank. Head all the way to the right to find a health pack and some Frag Grenades. Return to the tank and take it across one of the bridges. Use the Scorpion's weapons to take down the enemy forces here. There are a couple of Hunters over the bridge that need some deadly attention, and plenty of Elite to keep you busy. If you arrive with even one guy alive on your tank, give yourself a hand.

On the other side of the gap is a tank-sized door. Of course, you'll need to get out and use the control panel to open it.

Rolling Thunder

A few things to watch out for. As you go by either side of the central tower, a bunch of Elite and Grunts will stream out of the large, diamond doors. Use the cannon to drop them in groups. If any baddies survive, they'll run for the turrets on the raised bluffs on either side of the tower. One cannon blast a piece will teach them who's boss. Finally,in the clearing beyond the tower, you'll have a Covenant tank to deal with. The best strategy for this guy is to hang out near the bluffs and shoot long-range cannon blasts at it until it explodes. When you drop it, move toward the smoking hull. Hunters will appear from the icy path nearby. Cannon. Elite will run at you when you start moving down this passage. Cannon. As you emerge into the next area, a high cliff that looks across an icy gorge, Elite will come at you. Cannon. A laser turret across the canyon will fire at you. Cannon. Is there anything the cannon can't do? The answer is no.

There is a Checkpoint here, right above the winding, snowy path down into the valley. Carefully maneuever your ride down this slippery trail until you reach the bottom. Here, you'll meet a group of marines. Be careful not to run them over. An alien dropship will appear above. Ignore it. Get out of the tank and move to the other side of this ravine. Collect the goodies here, including a health pack and the Rocket Launcher. You'll want it to clear out some of the tough stuff ahead. There is also an Active Camoflauge nearby, which you should also grab.

Pass the large pipes and enter the short, icy tunnel. Here, you'll see a cloaked Elite with a laser sword. Thank god you're also cloaked. Use a Plasma Grenade or Rocket Launcher to end him, then move forward and clean out the rest of the scum. When the enemies are cleared out, move to the ridge ahead. There is a mess of Grunts running about in this snowy field. One of them will run to the laser turret. Make him pay with the Rocket Launcher. Use the rock next to the icy cliff to the right for cover as you dart out and kill the rest of the Grunts in this field.

With the help of your Marines, charge forward and start to clear the rest of the field. A group of Ghosts and a Banshee will hound you here, but the Rocket Launcher should take care of them. Use the cover of trees to the left to shield yourself from their fire. If you don't have the Rocket Launcher, you can fire on the Elites that are driving these vehicles. When they take too much damage, they'll pop off their ride and you can finish them off.

When all of the vehicles and Elite have been killed, head to the right cliff face. There's a diamond door there, surrounded by a pair of laser turrets. Make sure there's no one there to man them. When you approach, a pair of Elite will charge out. A well-placed grenade will drop them both. When they fall, move inside the fortress to another circular hallway.

There are a couple of Elite in the hallway, but it's mainly populated by Grunts. Move all the way around this circular passage until you come to a long, gray hallway that leads to an elevator. Take the lift up to the top. A Jackal is waiting for you at the top. Slay it, then move into the next room. Two more unsuspecting Jackals are waiting here. Take them down with a grenade. There is a ramp here. At the top, you'll find a health pack, Frag grenades and a Pistol. Grab what you want, then move up to yet another circular hallway. This one contains a couple of Elite at its center, in addition to a bunch of Grunts on the perimeter. You should have enough grenades to make short work of this hall. Be cautious, though. There are a couple of Elites near the exit and a lot more aliens waiting for you in the tunnel. The best way to deal with them is to lure them out into the hallway and fall back, taking them down from a distance.

When the enemies are killed, follow the arrows through the diamond door and back outside. You'll find yourself on another long bridge with glass segments. The same rules apply. This bridge is mainly populated with Grunts and Jackals. In addition, you'll have to watch out for attackers on the bridge to the right.

As you get to the other end of the bridge, a cloaked Elite will come out of the doors and start hassling you. Hassle him back, then move forward through the diamond door. Once you get inside, you'll find yet another circular hallway. Move around it to the left, taking down the Elite in your way. Midway around, you'll run into a cache of gear--a health pack and some ammo. Follow the arrows to another diamond hall. This leads to a long hall full of Jackals. Watch out... they'll dart out from the left. It's a good idea to have a Plasma Rifle here, as it will easily eat through their shields.

At the end of this passage is another circular hallway area. Most of the bad guys are contained in the glassed-in area in the center. Stay in the side halls and pepper the Covenant from the outskirts, keeping as safe as possible. Be especially wary of the Elite on the walkway in the center of the room. Once you're done, follow the arrows to the next diamond hallway and the next exit. This leads to another long bridge with several Elite on it. There are also Hunters on the bridge to the right. Try to take down the Elite ahead, then charge across the bridge, avoiding the fire from the Hunters. Unles you have a Pistol or Launcher, it isn't worth it to try to take these guys down. Your destination, of course, is the far door.

Once you get there, go through and work your way around (guess what?) another circular hallway. There are mainly Jackals here, so the Plasma Rifle will be your best bet. Work your way around to the right, then exit down and follow the path to another long hall. There are a couple of laser sword Elite off to the left. They will charge you is they see or hear you, but if you chuck a Plasma Grenade at the one standing in the middle of the hall, you'll be halfway there. Finish them off with the Rocket Launcher or more grenades, then move on down the hall.

In the next area (circular hallway, how'd you guess?), there are a pair of Hunters hanging out in the middle of the room. If you move all the way around the hallway, you'll find a Rocket Launcher. Trade it for whatever hoopty weapon you have and take down those big boys. Then focus your attention on the nearby doorway. Grunts and Jackals will come streaming through. Conventional weapons will work on them. When they fall, move through the diamond door. Follow the arrows out into the world.

You'll arrive on a snow-covered bridge crawling with Covenant. If you can make it to the Banshee parked here, you'll save yourself a lot of time, as you'll be able to quickly move to your next objective. Just get in the Banshee and pilot it to the top of the nearby pyramid, then skip to the paragraph below. If you can't get in the Banshee, follow the directions that follow. Use the Rocket Launcher and grenades to thin their numbers, then make your way across. You'll have to avoid fire from circling Banshee the whole way. Or, you can take the time to drop them with your Rocket Launcher. Your choice. Get to the diamond door on the opposite side of the bridge and go through, then follow the path to yet another circular room. There is light Grunt opposition here, so blast your way around the horn, then follow the path to a down elevator. This will lead to a long hallway with a cloaked Elite. Use a Plasma Grenade on him, then move around the circular hallway and exit. You'll find yourself outside of the base of the fortress. A Ghost craft is in front of you. Run to it and get in. Battle your way to the steps of the pyramid structure. Here, you'll encounter a pair of Hunters. Take them down with the Rocket Launcher, then work your way to the top of the pyramid.

Open the door at the top of the pyramid and drop back for cover. A lot fo Covenant await, so use your grenades and Launcher to clear them, then move to the next set of doors. Eventually, you'll come to the control room (finally!). Cortana begins to analyze the control room information immediately. A secret or two is revealed. But more importantly, this mission is over.

Lost Away Team

Once you arrive below, move forward off of the lift and cautiously peer around either corner ahead (near the two energy shields). There is a horde of Covenant here. Toss a grenade into the midst of them and fall back, then move in and clean the rest out. Then move through the door to find a two-level room. You're on a ledge above a lower bay and there are several enemies in the area below. Use grenades to clear them out, then fall down into the room. There is a single door here that you can go through--it's rimmed in green.Move through it and take down the Jackal. You're in a circular hallway with doors to the left, right and ahead. The right and left passages are locked, so proceed around and through the other door.

It leads to another area like the one you just left. You can see walkways at each end of the higher portion of the room. Go through the only available door here to find a huge mess in the next hallway. There's going to be trouble ahead. Go into the empty chamber that follows and search the right wall for a concealed door above the central channel. Jump to the platform near the door and head through.

Follow the circular path around and open the only unlocked door. Here, you'll find a marine who's gone mad. He'll warn you not to get any closer, or he'll shoot. He means it, too. Soldier, you're going to have to put him down. Kill him then move to the far corner of the room, where the walkway has collapsed and is in flames. Jump atop the rubble to get up to the walkway, then head across the central, glass floor to get to the green-rimmed door. Go through to get to another green door, and ultimately, a huge, open room with a large gap in the middle. There is a control panel ahead. Activate it to extend a light bridge across the room, then head over to the other side and exit.

You find yourself at a square path that runs around a double-ramp that leads to a lower level. On the left side of the ramp is a health pack. Grab it and move downstairs. Go through the green door at the bottom to trigger the best cutscene in the game. After the horrifying scene concludes, you'll know you're in for a nightmare.

The Flood

Doors in this room will periodically unlock, and new Flood will stream out. Just keep bustin' with the Assault Rifle until all the spores have been wasted. When the little guys die, you'll have to contend with a batch of bigger Flood. These are the Combat type, and they look like they've been spackled together with clay, roots and weeds. They pack a punch up close, though, so always be on the move, and get used to reloading on the fly. If a Combat Flood gets close, he'll swat at you with the long tendrils that poke from his body, which will do wicked damage. The best weapon against them is a Shotgun, but you don't have it yet. Use the Assault Rifle to hose these guys down.

When they're all dead, leave the room, headed back the way you came. Remember the light bridge room? This time, when you head back through, you'll notice a battle raging below. The Covenant are trying to hold off the Flood. Don't linger here. Drop some grenades to lighten the load, then move to the green door to the right and go through. The circular hallway leads to another doorway, and another bi-level room. There are several Combat Flood in the area below. As before, toss some grenades down there, and escape through the right exit.

Plenty of fun awaits in the next giant room. There are Covenant and Flood patrolling onb both levels of this double-wide room. They aren't fighting when you show up. To stir the pot a bit, shoot some rounds at the Jackals to the right. Let the enemies wipe each other out, then cruise over to the green door to the right. Once you get to the next hallway, look to the left to find health packs and the most helpful weapon yet... the Shotgun. This works exceptionally well in close battles with the Combat Flood. One shot will do one of these guys in.

When you have the Shotgun, leave through the exit down the tunnel from this stash. Head through the next abandoned room (it's got a sparking transformer of some kind at its center). When you open the next set of doors, you'll have an opportunity to use that Shtogun. Drop the Combat Flood that rush you, then move forward to the lift. Take it down a level.

When you get down to the next level, you'll be surrounded by Flood. They've learned how to hold weapons. So have you. Kill them with the Shotgun and Assault Rifle, and leave through the only available exit. Well, actually, you might want to get the Overshield atop a stack of those purple canisters, then leave.

The next area has a flickering light bridge at its center and two doses of Active Camouflage. Grab one and get cloaked, then drop to the room below. Search for the open doorway and head through to another wrecked room crawling with Flood. Make your way over to the debris in the far corner. Hop on top of the collapsed walkway to find a health pack. Then jump up once more and continue to the walkway above. Follow it to another exit, then cruise through the circular hall and exit again.

You're on the other side of the crackling light bridge. Exit here into a large, two-tiered room. Leap off of the upper level and proceed to the only open door in the room, then move around the circular hallway to exit into a purple-lit room with a channel in the center. Movce across to the open door and head around another circular path, exiting into another large room. There is a collapsed support column here. Battle through the Flood, then take a running leap to get atop the pillar. Up here, you'll find a health pack and lots of ammo. From the pillar, hop up to the angled section of walkway above. (Psst... if you don't see it at first, turn around). Follow the path to the green door and move through. There are tons of Flood in here, but you don't have to take them all on. Instead, head forward to the control panel and activate it to extend a light bridge. Then book across and follow the path to an elevator room. Again, you don't need to battle these guys. Just get on the lift and press X at the control panel to go down.

You'll arrive back near the exit to the swamp. On your way out, be sure to grab some health and ammo to the left of the exit. Then join up with your marines and head back out into the swamp. Follow your marines as they clear a path through the morass. You can help as much as want... just keep moving forward. When you get past the large tower at the far end of the swamp, a cutscene will play. The level is over.

Wait, It Gets Worse!

As you meet back up with the Monitor, more Flood will charge. Move to the end of this hallway and keep your back to the wall. You'll have to hold your position until the Monitor returns. The Sentinel will do a lot of your work for you, but make sure to blast Carriers before they get too close. When the Monitor returns, the next set of security doors will open and the Sentinels will forge ahead and begin to clear the path. Move into the area and help out, then move toward the Monitor on the far end of the corridor. The Sentinels will do most of the work for you in the next passage as well. Let them, then when the Checkpoint appears, move forward toward the Monitor.

At the end of the corridor, you'll find a Rocket Launcher, which can come in handy against groups of Flood. You'll have to hold your position here again, so equip it if you're good at using it in close quarters. Otherwise, leave it lay. You'll have to fend off some Infection Flood before the doors open, but that shouldn't be too challenging. Keep following the Monitor, blasting Flood the whole way. Eventually, you'll come to a channel in the path. This leads to an underground tunnel. Battle your way through it. When you reemerge, you'll be bombarded with Flood. Fall back into the tunnel and take them down. Then move up and out and toward the waiting Monitor. As you approach him, you'll notice blips all over your radar. Fall back and kill them all, and keep clearing out the area. When all of the Flood here are gone, move left around the corner and eliminate the next wave. Once they all drop, a Checkpoint will appear.

Head to the end of the hall and move left around the corner. At the next corner, peer to the right. See the three Combat Flood at the other end? One has a Rocket Launcher in his grimy little mit. Be patient and fight him from a distance so you don't eat a faceful of rocket. Once he falls, take a right around the corner and trigger the Flood attack. Then fall back to the long corridor before and fight them there. You'll have to endure a few waves of these creatures. Just keep falling back and wasting the Flood, then trigger a new batch and repeat. When they all die, keep following the Monitor to another lift.

But I Don't Want to Ride the Elevator!

When the fight is over, move toward the Monitor. Near another security door, you'll discover another health pack. You'll have to hold your position here until the Monitor returns. This will be a little more diffcult than in times past, because there are no Sentinels to help and there are tons of Carriers that charge you. Just keep moving and watching your radar, and keep those Shotgun Shells popping! Eventually, you'll hose down the crew and step through the opened security door.

You'll have to battle a series of Flood here, before you can move off to the left (there is a lift ahead, but it is just an open shaft. Move forward and destroy the Flood that approach, while the Monitor open the large door to the left. Move through the open door to find a health pack near a column on the floor. Battle your way to the long corridor at the end of the hall, wary of Flood popping out of the channels below. The hallway is crawling with even more Flood. They'll approach from both sides, so keep falling back to the area before to get them all in front of you.

Keep following the Monitor through a partially-opened door, all the way to the security door. He will leave you here and you'll have to fend for yourself again. The best way to deal with the onslaught of Flood is to get up on the support nearest the security door. This gives you a clear shot into one of the Flood's vents, as well as a height advantage, which in tactics is key. There is a health pack in between the half-walls, if you need it. Hold your position until the Monitor opens the doors, then scoot through. There are Sentinels in the next hall that will make your job a lot easier. Hang in the wings and heal (if you need to), then wait for the Sentinels to eliminate the threat. Keep following the Monitor, letting the Sentinels do most of your dirty work. At the end of the path is another lift. Get on it, by all means.

Fourth Floor: Tools, Guns, Keys to Super Weapons

There are Carrier and Infection forms galore down here. Use a combination of grenades and Assault Rifle to eliminate them. When you emerge from the tunnel, Flood will approach from all angles. Stay at the end of the tunnel and blast anything that approaches. Tossing grenades down the tunnel shaft is a good way to supress the rampaging hordes. Once you clear this massive threat, grab the health pack near the column base. Move forward down the hall. There is another helath pack stashed in the channel in the floor. Leave it for now and come back here if you get dinged up.

Round the corner and head down the seemingly empty hallway. Follow it to another, then get ready. You'll be surrounded by Carriers. Use your Shotgun to bust them up, then fall back and spray the remains. In the next corridor, you'll encounter scads of every kind of Flood. If you take a lot of damage here, search the alcoves of this hallway for another health pack. In this same alcove, you'll find a Rocket Launcher. When you have what you need, continue down the path to find another security door.

As it opens, Flood start jumping through. Drop a grenade at the base of the door and watch the bodies collect. Then dig in for a battle. Hold your position near the door and pepper anything that approaches. When you have mowed down the first couple of waves, allow your shields to heal, then dash forward toward the energy beam at the center of the room. As you draw near it, the level concludes with a cutscene.

The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe

There are two shields here. Open the blast door with the panel to the right, then quickly duck behind one of the shields. The main area of concern is to the right, where an Elite is lurking. Stay behind the shield and only dart out when you have a clear shot. Then move forward out into the cold. There is a tower ahead. Go to the top of it to find lots of ammo, a Sniper Rifle and a health pack. Grab the Sniper Rifle and return to the area below. There is a ledge under the one you're standing on that contains several Grunts and an Elite. You can clear it out, but why waste ammo? Instead, move to the far left of the tower and slide down the inclines here (there are three) until you get to a path containing a Rocket Launcher. Use the Sniper Rifle to clear out the Elite in the snowy plain below, then grab the Launcher and head down the ramp nearby.

Through an opening in the structure to the right, you'll see a distant Covenant tank shelling your area. Don't stand out in the open too long, or you'll taste the pain. Instead, give up a serving of Rocket Launcher yourself. Aim slightly below the tank for the best results. When you see it explode, move through the tunnel and truck to the nearby Banshee. Get inside and throttle up to the nav point above. It's on a high platform with a pair of Elite. Use the cannon (left Trigger) to clear out the enemy before landing. Then touch down on the platform and go through the door nearby.

Once inside, follow the nav point to the glowing core and step inside (with full shields). Your shields will be depleted, but you'll trigger a chain reaction in the core, destroying the generator. Then hightail it out of there, through the passage you came in. You'll pass a bunch of Sentinels heading in. Just run past them, out to your waiting Banshee.

Breaking Stuff to Look Tough

Through the next series of buildings (you'll recognize them as the diamond-doored structures you battled through in Assault on the Control Room), you'll be going against the arrows to find your way. Any time there is an arrow pointing the wrong direction, follow that path and you'll be doing the right thing.

This is another one of those circular hallways. If you want to avoid the prolonged fight, cut through the center room to get to the exit, which leads down at a slight incline. This in turn leads to a long, high-ceilinged hallway with a sunken portion off to the right. At the opposite end of the hall, you'll encounter an Elite and several Grunts and Jackals. Wipe them out and move straight ahead. Continue down the path until you hear some ambient music start. This signals the beginning of a big mess. In the coming hallways, you'll have to battle through tons of Flood and Covenant, most of which are also fighting with each other. Stay down in the safety of the room you're in and let the warring factions kill each other off. When it sounds like the killing has stopped above, move out of your tunnel and start moving left, killing whatever is in your path.

When you've cleared the tunnel of enemies, head back to the area just right of the tunnel you were waiting in. Here, you'll find a pair of health packs, a Shotgun and some Frag Grenades. Make sure you pick up the Assault Rifle off of the floor here, because there are some Infection Flood ahead. As with the last room, you can cut across the center chamber to make this area go quicker. Just make sure you don't get surrounded.

When you get to the diamond doors, go through and exit into the snow again. You're back on the double bridges from the Assault level. Move forward and fire a shot to start the action. The Flood to the left will begin leaping over. Let them cut each other up for awhile, then move forward and deal with the leftovers. On the bridge ahead, you'll meet an armored Elite carrying a laser sword. Take him down with the Shotgun or Rocket Launcher and proceed, picking your way through the baddies until you reach the opposite door.

Move through the diamond door and into the next hallway. You won't see anything on your radar right away, but as you move forward, a bunch of Flood will suddenly appear. Fall back into the tunnel and take on the Flood in a line. This will make your job easier than being surrounded. When you have dropped all of the Combat Flood, eat through the Infection type, then move around the circular hallway, blasting the unsuspecting Flood. As you open the next diamond door, you'll surprise a pair of Elite. Chuck a Plasma Grenade at them and fall back. They will start waging war with some Flood in the ensuing passage. Wait and let it die down, then move into the long cathedral hall and clean up the rest of the Flood. Watch out, though. The last Flood in the hallway carries a Rocket Launcher. Drop him before he can use it.

Move through the hall to another circle hallway. Drop the Combat and Carrier Flood here, then finish up with the Assault Rifle. Move around the passage to the right. Midway through, you will hear an explosion and several Flood will charge. Face them if you want, otherwise, just cruise to the exit, grabbing the health pack near the door.

Outside, another double bridge awaits. This one is a little tougher to navigate, because there are Carrier Flood everywhere and Banshees circling overhead. The concept is still the same, though. Clear the bridge and make it to the other side, the whole time watching the Flood threat to the left. A Rocket Launcher Flood awaits at the three-quarter point, and a slew of Infection Flood will greet you at the opposite door. But you can pretty much blast a path through it all with your Shotgun and make your way to the diamond door.

Once inside the next circular hallway, it's business as usual. Plenty of Flood to kill. Be aware that there are many Carrier types in this hallway. Make sure you have room between you before you blast. Make your way to the left until you reach a passage with a slight down incline. Follow the path to a lift and go down. Infection Flood will harass you during the descent, but don't waste ammo on them. Just move through two sets of green doors to arrive at a short hallway with barricades to the right and left. Blast the Combat Flood that meet you at the end of the passage, then move through the obstacle-strewn path (blasting Flood all the way, of course) until you reach another huge diamond door. Go through and follow the path to the snowy outside.

As you exit, you'll see a Ghost parked ahead. Run to it and get on before someone else does. Then head right, away from the resistance. You'll see a path that cuts down between towe buildings. If you need health, drive the Ghost down here and grab one of the health packs. When you emerge on the other side, stay on the Ghost and take a right, moving past the large Covenant tank in your path. Your goal is the cave opening behind it. Since the tank is slow, you'll have no problem blowing right by it.

Once you do, follow the tunnel out to an icy lake. Stay on the Ghost and move through the support columns here. Take out the Jackals on the ice and move around the corner. Here, you'll discover an overturned Warthog, tons of ammo and a health pack. Turn the Warthog over and drive up the twisting path. Nail any Grunts that get in your way. Soon, you'll reach an open field near a tower. To the left of the tower are a pair of Banshees. You'll need to get to one of them to get to the next nav point. If you want, you can stay on the ice here and plug the Elite in the distance with the mounted machine gun. Or, you can just charge ahead, hop out of the 'Hog and get into a Banshee. What you decide will depend a lot on the amount of health you have.

Once you're in a Banshee, curl up and around the central tower toward the nav point. There are two platforms here, and they'll both need to be cleaed before you can enter the next tower. Focus on the circular platform first. It's got a lot of laser turrets and an armored Elite to worry about. Pick them off with the Banshee's cannons, and keep an eye on your shields. If you get into the red, land near one of the other Banshees parked on this tower and trade ships. Make sure everything is cleared off, then focus on the other platform, the one near the nav point. There's a pesky Grunt with an energy cannon here, but he can be wasted with a well-placed cannon shot. Once the platform is clear, park the Banshee and move inside.

Note:

Once you enter the building, you'll have to clear out a group of Flood in the center of the room. Then, a stream of Infection Flood will appear. Take them down, then go near the core, destroying the generator. Once you do, more Flood will appear. Since you shields are depleted, you'll have to book it or you'll be dead. Have your Shotgun handy and blast a path through them, working toward the exit. Once you step outside again, you'll see your ride. Get in it!

The Tunnels Below

In the next huge bay, you'll meet with some Flood resistance. As you move across the bridge, several Flood will charge. There are several small walls to duck behind to gain cover along the way, so use them. As you near the end of the bridge, a panoply of Flood will come at you. Use grenades to thin their numbers, and watch out for Rocket Launcher fire. When you have safely cleared the enemy, move to the other side of the bridge and pick up the health packs here. There is scattered ammo and other gear here as well.

When you've got what you need, open the blast doors and move through. Go through one more set of blast doors, then exit into another snowy plain.

Final Run

Maneuver the Ghost down an icy path littered with stones until you see another battle raging. At the mouth of a cave to the left, you'll find tons of ammo, a Rocket Launcher and a couple of health packs. Only get out of your Ghost if you need these items. Otherwise, forge ahead, blasting through the battle until you reach a low ledge. Maneuver your Ghost up the ledge using the left side of the rock face. There is some nasty stuff in the prairie ahead, including several Covenant tanks and a buttload of Elite. Since you're still in the Ghost, you're mobile. You don't have to worry yourself with the major conflict going on here. Instead, just cruise to the right side of the canyon. Between the two tanks, you'll see a pair of parked Banshees. Clear out some of the rabble around them and go drive your Ghost into the area. Hop out when you get close, then quickly get into the drivers' seat of the Banshee. Then step on the gas and don't linger, because the tanks will make you pay for dallying.

Fly the Banshee up to the nav point platform. Try to knock the Sentinels that greet you out of the sky, then land and scoot into the diamond door. Near the entrance, you'll get some Frag Grenades and a health pack. Follow the path to another circular hallway, where you'll meet more nasty Sentinels. Smoke them, then move to the final generator core. The level has ended.

The Captain

Once your encounter with the Captain is over, you'll have to battle a horde of Flood. The easiest way to do this is to get off of the platform and move toward the white passage, letting the Covenant in. Then fall back to the far end of the room (behind the platform). The Flood will stream through the doors and battle it out with the Covenant. Just stay where you area and patiently blast any extras that approach. You'll have to deal with a couple of waves before it's all over, but letting them wipe each other out will save you a lot of hassle.

Before you leave, grab the health pack, then head through the door nearby. Follow the path forward to the crossroads, then take a right. Down a side alcove here is another health pack. Move forward through another whote door, then follow the path into the shuttle bay.

There is a nasty Grunt with a green energy rifle and an Elite ahead and more Elite to your right. Use grenades and the Shotgun to clean these guys out, then move forward and go through the door to the left. Move down these passages, wary of Grunts holding energy guns. These guys also like to toss grenades, so stay on your toes. Eventually the path will lead to the second level of the shuttle bay. Continue forward and go through the opposite door.

In the next stretch of tunnel, you'll run into a couple of Hunters. Drop them with Plasma grenades. As you push down the hall, you'll meet some more Elite. Kill them with close-range Shotgun blasts, and press on. Soon, you will reach the shuttle bay. You don't have to bother messing with the Elite here. Just run forward to a Banshee and enter the driver's seat (X) to end the level.

Light Fuse, Run Away

Proceed to the door that says Level 2, then work your way up the winding ramp. On the next level, make your way to the Level 3 door. You'll have to battle through some Flood to get up to the level you need, but once you do, make your way to the nav point. On the ledges here, you'll note a couple control panels. Move to one and press X to open the exhaust vent core. You'll see the long beams below you begin to retract. Drop on to another one of the beams that run across the room, then aim at the opened core and either shoot a Rocket or toss a Grenade inside. Repeat this process for both manifolds on this side, then return to the previous hallway and move to the other side of the engine room. This will help you get at the remaining nav points. You'll have to dodge fire from Sentinels and Flood during your explosion attempts, so stay on your toes and monitor the shield level.

Note:

Once you destroy all of the exhaust tubes, Cortana will point you to an escape elevator. Move to the third Level and exit through the green-lit door. Pick your way down the path (there's only one way to go), until you arrive at a lift.

When the doors to the lift open, you'll be faced with several Grunts and a couple nasty Elites. Use some Plasma Grenades to drop them, then step onto the lift and take it up to the next level.

Warning: Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Convicts

The hallway that follows is long and strewn with enemies and obstacles. Your goal is to make it through this run in the least amount of time, with the least damage to your vehicle. Duh. There are several routes to take, but the center is the fastest. It's also the toughest, as you'll have to be going pretty fast in order to clear all of the ramps that go down the center of this long, long road.

Don't fret if you get off the center of the run. A careful slower run is better than a balls-out run where you constantly tip your ride. There's no way to accurately describe the best path through this area. It's a matter of personal preference and ability to control your vehicle more than anything.

Your goal (and the nav point) is an outdoor section of bridge where you're supposed to rendezvous with the dropship. But guess what? Something goes wrong. Instead of stopping to wait for the impending doom, just blow by the nav point to save yourself valuable seconds. Put the pedal to the metal at this point and gun it down the path. Near a throng of Elite, Cortana will announce that you need to jump a gap. Floor it and keep the Warthog centered and heading straight for the drop ahead. You're not aiming for the upper platform, you're going to sail to the lower of two.

Once you land successfully, keep heading forward, plowing ahead. Soon, you'll come to a barricade that is impassible. Get out of the Warthog and forge ahead, booking it to the nav point. Don't worry too much about enemies, unless someone gets directly in front of you. Just haul ass until you reach the end. Whew! You've survived Halo. Sit back and bask in your accomplishment.

Note:

By Kaistau.

If you beat Halo on Legendary difficulty, there is an added bit to the final cutscene. We won't tell you what it is... you'll have to earn it. When the elevator brings you to the level above, head forward and get into one of the Warthogs parked in this hangar. You will automatically get a health pack when you get in the Hog. Move out of this area and take a left. On one side of the room (the left path when coming from the Armory), you'll need to hop on top of some tilted canisters, then hop across the extended beams to get to the Level 3 door. In the following areas, you will meet with lots of Flood. Move forward on the path to reach the Engine Room. Once inside, head up the ramp here. You'll notice tons of health packs on sections of wall on this level. Remember these, you'll need them if you get beat up in battle. You'll move through a pair of doors before coming up on a raging fight at the crossroads of a hallway. This is another long, drawn-out battle. Just keep popping with your Shotgun until the Flood stop their rampage. Eventually, the battle will be over and you can access the control room. At the center is a raised platform. Follow the walkway up to find the Captain. He's a bit different from the last time you saw him. As you emerge from the tunnel, you'll see another skirmish between Covenant and Flood. Move to the right side of this open field and head forward. You'll see a group of Flood standing around in the snow. Toss a grenade in their midst and watch them fly. Clean up the scraps, then move forward and clear a path ahead of you. Pay special attention to the laser turrets ahead. Nearby, you'll find a Ghost. Get in as soon as possible and make your way to the crease in the rock ahead and slightly to the left. Leave the rest of the Covenant and Flood there to battle it out for themselves. Pilot your Banshee toward the nav point. You'll have to enter the tunnel here. Stay in the Banshee and blast the troops below, but always keep moving forward. If your Banshee gets too dinged, get out and go it on foot. You'll have to watch out for Rocket Launcher fire from the Flood below as well. Make your way to the end of this bending tunnel until you reach a blast door, then hop out and open it. Scoot through the gap in the doors, leaving your Banshee behind. It is absolutely imperative that this entire platform is clear before going inside. If you leave enemies out here, they will steal your ride and you won't be able to complete the mission. When you arrive outside, there will be a pair of Banshees on the platform. Take whichever one is less damaged down to the next nav point. Again, use the weapons on your Banshee to clear this snowy bridge before getting out of the vehicle to head through the door. When all the Sentinels fall, move to the blast door ahead and activate the control panel to open it. In the corridor ahead, you will see several Sentinels take on some Covenant Grunts and Elite. Hang back and let them destroy each other. They will whittle each other down so there are only a couple Grunts and an Elite left. Polish them off with the Shotgun, then move forward to encounter another Jackal and an Elite. Once they're dead, open the blast door and continue down the path to yet another blast door. Guess what awaits on the fourth floor... more Flood! As you step off the lift and move forward, you'll see a couple of Carriers waiting for you. Fall back and let your Sentinel buddies whack them, then cruise forward and claim your health pack across the hall. Continue along the path. You'll notice that the Flood are getting more aggressive, leaping at the Sentinels and you. A Shotgun will still keep them in check. Most, if not all of them, will be destroyed by the Flood. You'll have to drop the rest of the baddies yourself, then move along the path until you find a channel in the floor. It leads to an underground tunnel. When you arrive above, you'll be rejoined by the Sentinels. Follow them as they clear a path. When you come to a channel in the floor, follow the ramp down to an underground tunnel. Battle through the tunnel, then rejoin your Sentinel friends aboveground. They'll be busy wiping out another group of Flood when you get topside. Upstairs, you'll encounter more of the same. As you exit the elevator room, you'll notice several large red dots on the radar. These are all Carriers. Back up and blast them and finish off the Infection Flood with the Assault Rifle. As you move forward from here, the Sentinels will be with you. Follo them to the next corridor. Here, you'll find a pair of health packs in a channel in the floor. You're in a large, open room with a pair of dais-like platforms at the center and several locked doors on the perimeter. As you move forward in the room, you'll have your first encounter with the creatures known as the Flood. These rank vermin come in three forms: Infection, Combat and Carrier. The Infection type are the most prevalent, and most pesky. These are the ones you will encounter first. They look like little jumping spores, and alway travel in large groups. If you don't mow them down quickly enough, they'll leap at you and attach to your body. After a few moments, they will burrow under your skin and explode. If you have full shields, this won't affect you much. But if your shields are gone, the Infection Flood will mess you up good. The best weapon against them is the fastest--the Assault Rifle. As they approach, just fall back and spray until they all go "pop." When the level begins, you find yourself knee-deep in the swamp. Move straight forward from the starting point to find a whole mess of gear--three health packs and a ton of ammo. From here, continue forward until you start to see red dots on your radar. Follow the display to find several Jackals and Grunts waiting. When they drop, keep moving ahead until you see a thick root cutting across the path. Hop on to it and move over the ridge. Head across the root bridge to find a gaggle of Grunts and Jackals in the gully below. Battle it out until all of them fall, then move to the structure at the center of this depression. Move around the perimeter until you find an elevator. Then step on the platform and push the button to take you down. When you get through the tunnel, you'll start to encounter a littl more Covenant resistance. Use your pea shooter gun on the Jacakals in this long, rocky alley, and preserve your big guns for the Ghosts that buzz into the tunnel. The path dumps into a huge open field with a tower at its center. There are plenty of things to kill, which you can do with glee in your shiny tank. When the dropship, well, drops you, focus your attention on the large door. An Elite and a couple of Grunts will run out of the large, diamond-shaped door here. Drop the Elite first, then run to the gun turret and polish off the little guys. Move through the door and take a right, triggering a cutscene. Once it triggers, head back to the tunnel and take a left through the second side door here. You'll see an Elite with his back to you in the next chamber. Lob a Plasma Grenade at him and wait for him to pop. Then clear out the rest of the room. Then move to the next one, using grenades and Assault fire to take down the pair of Elites. Stay in the room you're in and duck for cover, then move forward and blast. Or, if you want a height advantage, move up the ramp on the right side of the room and attack the Elite from above. Either way, when they drop, move through the room and exit through the green glowing door. You will encounter two Jackals immediately. Drop a grenade on them. Go back to the Hunter room. Here, you'll meet a couple of cloaked Elite. These guys can be tricky, but be patient and remember to use cover. Try to toss a grenade to light their shields up so that you can charge in with the Pistol to finish them. You begin the level on a Pelican descending to the planet's surface. The continued assault will take place on the beach, as you move toward the huge structure to the right. You and your contigent of marines will have to battle through several Grunts and Elite to get there. Use plenty of grenades to bust up the clusters of enemies, and use the rocks as cover during the firefight. You marines will do a lot of the work, for once. After a tense moment, the Covenant will start streaming into the room. The first one you'll meet is a cloaked Elite, who is carrying a laser sword. If he hits you with it, you will die. So will anybody on your crew, so you want to drop this stooge as soon as possible. Track his laser sword and try to line up a head shot with the Sniper Rifle. The quicker you can make this guy fall, the better. After he's gone, the floodgates open and a bunch of Jackals, Grunts and Elite pour into the room. What follows is an extended battle in this large room. Use grenades whenever a door opens to kill groups of enemies quickly. Keep track of where your enemies are on the radar (they come from all sides) and use the large canisters scattered around the room for cover. Captain Keyes has been captured, and you'll need to help save him. This is a night mission, so the Sniper Rifle (with Night Vision) will be a powerful ally. You begin the level with it. The first part of the mission requires a lot of sniping. When the level begins, move forward to the rock formation ahead and to the right. From here, you can see all kinds of activity in the canyon below. Your first priority is the gun turret (manned by a Grunt). Take him down with the Sniper Rifle, then focus your fire on the Jackals walking around below. Drive across the river again and look for a pair of blue lights at the cliff base (near where the river becomes a waterfall). Move through the canyon here into another base area. As with the last base, drive around to cut into the enemy forces first, then get out of the ride and take down the rest by hand. There are more Elites on the prowl here, so stay on your toes. Don't put yourself in a situation where you're surrounded, and make sure to always search corpses for Grenades. Don't be stingy with the pineapples, either. They're meant to be thrown. Now it's time to take care of other crew members who crashed to the ring and need protection. Move down behind the base and watch for approaching Covenant. There is another crashed pod here that you can use for cover as the first wave comes at you. There is one Elite and a batch of shield-toting Covenant in this group. Grenades work especially well on the Shield Grunts, as they like to sit and camp. Bullets won't do any good unless their shields are down, or you approach them from behind. You've reached a Checkpoint. You find yourself in a huge valley. From the pod, head left across the bridge that traverses the ravine. There are some Covenant ships on the prowl, and you'll have to avoid them, or be toast. After you cross the bridge, take a right and follow the ravine to a field of large rocks. Here, you'll meet the first batch of Covenant troops. Use the trees and rocks for cover as you waste the aliens. Once you leave the bridge, you'll have a Pistol. Head out the same way you came in, towards the blinking emergency lights of the corridor. Two Covenant grunts will greet you at the door. Fill them full of lead. Then step into the corridor. Search the floor for an Assault Rifle, then m ove to the door directly across the hall. After the opening cutscene concludes and you emerge from your cryogenic cocoon, you'll have to go through a series of tests to learn how to play the game. Finish the tasks as the technician walks you through. Make sure you take the time to really learn the controls here, because soon, you'll need to put them to the ultimate test. The Banshee is like a flying Scorpion of sorts. Since it moves in three dimensions, it's a little tougher to control, but again, wherever the arrow is pointing is where the Banshee will move. This alien craft also has two weapons: a powerful energy cannon on the left trigger and a pulse gun on the right trigger. There is much joy to be found when driving the Scorpion, a huge mobile tank with room for four extra marines. Pick up as many as possible to gather what amounts to a moving fortress. In addition to the firepower provided by the Marines, the Scorpion packs a double-fisted punch. The left trigger fires a bad-ass cannon, and the right trigger shoots a steady machine gun. The tank is also quite handy for running over even the biggest enemies. It's a little less maneuverable than the other rides in the game, but more than makes up for that with power. The Ghost is a small alien hovercraft that will help you traverse large distances quickly. It is mounted with energy pulse guns, much like the ones the Covenant carry by hand. In addition to moving forward and backward, the Ghost can strafe side-to-side. However, it is not recommended you use this as an assault vehicle, as its weapons just aren't up to snuff. The Warthog is an all-wheel drive mobile assault vehicle, capable of holding you and three other Marines. Built to go anywhere, this is a rugged ride. Climb rocks, squeeze into narrow spaces and roll in the wide open. If you have someone in the gunner seat, they will focus on the closest enemy and blast away with infinite ammo. The Warthog is a powerful vehicle. If you want to clear out a group of enemies, rev up to high speeds and drive into them. The Warthog is relatively impervious to damage. If it flips, get out and flip it back over (X). But be careful: if you flip your ride with other Marines inside, they could all lose their lives.